You're reading: Kremlin: Moscow respects choice made by population in Donetsk, Luhansk regions

Moscow - Russia was closely following the preparations for and the course of the "referendums" in Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and respects the choice made by the population, the Kremlin said.

“Moscow respects the will of the population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and hopes that the practical implementation of the outcome of the referendums will proceed along civilized lines, without repeat outbreaks of violence and through dialogue between representatives of Kyiv, Donetsk and Luhansk,” the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

“In the interests of establishing such a dialogue all mediation efforts will be welcome, including by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,” the Kremlin said.

“We have taken note of high voter turnout despite attempts to derail the voting and we condemn the force used, including military hardware, against civilians, which lead to fatalities,” the Kremlin said.